The cod competition is underway and 45 years waiting for a double figure cod came to an end for paul Chidgy when he boated this handsome 15lb 12oz cod on Dan Hawkins boat off Watchet. Double figure cod are the main target of the Watchet and Blue Anchor Charter boat fleets over the coming months but there should be a few ray and conger to bend the rods in between cod.
Bull huss have to be one of sea angling s most photogenic fish with their Leopard like spots. Chay Boggis landed this beauty from a local rock mark. It pulled the scales down to 9lb 5oz.
Quality fish like this are out there to be caught but there are also plenty of small eels and dogfish about that tend to get to the baits first as I found out on a session at a local rock mark last night, Its good to get out though and with settled conditions its good to just be there waiting.
Triple Hook Clubs Ladies and Junior Open on Sunday October 29th saw several flounder brought to the scales with calm conditions and blue skies prevailing throughout the morning.
Ian Cairns won the event with a flounder of 1lb 31/2oz and topped the club members section.
In runner up spot was Max Chapple with a flounder of 1lb 33/8oz and third Levi Beer with a flounder of 1lb 31/4oz
The Ladies Event was won by Levi Beer with her flounder of 1lb 31/4oz and Joan Cairns was runner up with a flounder of 145/8oz
Its all systems go for Reel Deal Obession 2 on route to Watchet with the first trip planned for Friday spaces available with 7.00am Sailing. There is also availability on Sunday aboard the Jay Jay 8.30 sail 8 hour trips bait and rods can be provided sailing from Watchet marina and the cod comp will be started call 07850984933 or message Dan Hawkins on Facebook.
There are already a few decent cod showing for anglers fishing from boats above Minehead.
http://www.reeldealcharters.uk
Well done to Bideford’s ‘A’ team who won the latest North Devon League competition this weekend
1st Graham Snow – grey mullet 4lb10 1/4oz
2nd Graham Snow – grey mullet 3lb 14 1/4oz
3rd Antony Smith – flounder 1lb 8 1/4oz
Autumn is a prime time for the sea angler with a wide variety of species to target. The past week has seen local anglers enjoy success along North Devon’s rocky coast. Dan Spearman (Below) was among these anglers landing a bull huss of 9lb 3oz and a conger of 18lb.
Fellow Combe Martin SAC member James Thomas landed good pollock of 2lb 13oz along with numerous conger whilst fishing a rock mark near Ilfracombe. (Below)
Kody Chugg landed a small eyed ray (Below)
I targetted grey mullet that are one of my favourite sea fish and tempted a specimen of 4lb 13oz using quiver-tipped bread flake.
Pauline and I joined volunteers at Crow Point on a beach clean organized by the West Country Rivers Trust. Organizer Kathi Bauer told me that they counted 14 full bin bags of rubbish at the end of the event,lots of the usual waste but also some sharps. Whilst around 20 people signed in they counted a lot more – Jodie and Cat of the WCRT estimated between 45 to 60 people overall, including children.
It was great to join in clearing the debris from the estuary and to my relief there wasn’t too much angling related litter. The event commenced with an informative walk and talk with Dave Edgcombe, who gave a very informative talk about the Taw and Torridge Estuary explaining how mankind industry has shaped the landscape. I have been visiting the White house area for close to fifty years and was astonished how much the landscape has evolved as a result of natures relentless forces. The Whitehouse was originally built in conjunction with the ferry that once linked Instow, Appledore and Braunton. The location being the original mouth of the River Caen a river that once had a significant run of salmon and sea trout!
The breaking through of the sluice gates has certainly transformed the area known as Horsey Island behind the Whitehouse! ( Below)
(Above) Volunteers at the beach clean.
(Above) A wide range of debris
(Above) Bags of litter
Litter is something that really annoys me and it was great to get out in the fresh air and do our bit. I have raised the issue of angling related litter before and will do so again but its not just anglers who leave litter its a problem that blights the whole of society. I challenge any one to find any where that’s not blighted by litter. Even on a beautiful beach on the West Coast of Scotland there were bits of plastic debris on the shoreline.
Next time you go fishing make sure you take your litter home and any that others have left. If we all pick up a bit it will make a difference.
http://www.summerlands-tackle.co.uk
Combe Martin SAC member Ross Stanway fished with his brother Jonathan on damp and drizzly evening with a lively sea. Jonathan hooked a Conger of 10lb 8oz early on in the evening; his biggest to date having not really done much eel fishing. I joked. “Imagine what one 3 times the size fights like!”. Ross then illustrated his point landing an eel of 30lb 3oz!
(Above)Ross Stanway with a proper conger – 30lb 3oz
Ali Laird followed up his recent success with this fine specimen smoothound weighing 13lb 1oz he also landed a bull huss of 8lb 14oz. The next couple of months are potentially the best of the year for a wide range of species. Fishing can be excellent after the storm but take care as there are going to be some big seas over the next few days.
